


I Forgot You

by gurajiorasu



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Angst, Drama, M/M, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-08
Updated: 2015-01-27
Packaged: 2018-02-28 16:43:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2739665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gurajiorasu/pseuds/gurajiorasu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A story of a man who lost a part of his memories and a man who can step into one's memories - even the forgotten ones.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

_He was terrified, afraid, and devastated. He just ran, ran, and ran, approaching the only place that crossed his mind; the train station. With a trembling body he jumped to the first train he saw, hugging his own body close like he was freezing._

_His eyes darted everywhere like everyone was his enemy. He avoided everyone, ignoring questioning looks from some people that might or might not recognize him. He kept walking through the passengers, through the seats, through the cars, until he met the end of the train which was relatively empty and quiet, a little bit dark with some flickering lights._

_There, the boy saw them. The people that he loved so dearly, the people that were the biggest part of his life, the only ones that he ever gave his heart to. They waved at him, they smiled at him._

_The boy wailed as his heart was torn into pieces. He cried, his eyes were blurry, his hands shook._

_Then, he whispered, “I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”_

_The boy ran and he drew his bloody knife._

_One stab._

_Two stabs._  
  
Three _stabs._

_Then everything was dark._


	2. The Man Who Could Step Into Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aiba Masaki had a special skill - a power - that was more like a curse than a gift. He never knew the curse might have an antidote until he bumped into one.

Aiba zipped up his jacket, put on his hoodie, and wore his shades. It was cloudy outside and he would look ridiculous wearing them but he didn’t care, he  _needed_  them.  
  
The tall man was restless beyond believe. He paced back and forth, looking at the door like it was a monster that would swallow him whole if he got too close. Cold sweat was trailing on his temple and curses were spilling out of his lips.  
  
He jumped like crazy when his phone made a sound. It was his boss calling him.  _Again_.  
  
“He- hello,” he stuttered.  
  
“Where are you?!”  
  
“I- I’m on my way,” Aiba lied. He wasn’t even outside his apartment yet.  
  
“Geez, Aiba kun, I’ve told you that the big boss will inspect all of the night watch today. You’ll give me trouble if you’re not here in ten minutes!”  
  
“I’m sor-”  
  
“No time for sorry. I don’t care how, but get your lazy ass here in ten minutes or I swear to God I’ll fire you before the big boss could,” the boss terminated the connection. From the tone that he used, Aiba knew he was not just bluffing.  
  
Aiba’s heart deflated. He couldn’t run away from this because he couldn’t afford losing this job  _too_. It was perfect for him; it was done in the night time, he didn’t have to meet anyone, and no crowded place was involved. He didn’t know if he would be able to find a job that convenient anymore. So he knew he  _had_  to go now, in the middle of an afternoon when the road was as busy as it could be.  
  
Aiba heaved a sigh and finally, he opened the door.  
  
*******  
  
Aiba walked so quickly with his hoodie pulled down and he made it to the station without any trouble. He only encountered several people on his way and he managed to dodge them all with ease.  
  
However, the station was another story. It was cramped up with people and Aiba already felt himself hyperventilating by the sight.  
  
Aiba pulled the hoodie even lower and fixated his eyes to the floor as he walked across the station. In his heart, he was chanting prayer.  
  
 _Please, God, let today be a memory-person-free day. Please. Please, I beg You. Plea-_  
  
Aiba’s prayer was stopped at once when he looked up for a second and found a girl stood dangerously close to the track. He stopped and stared, feeling panic creeping up on his spine rapidly. She was definitely going to jump on the track, but Aiba couldn’t tell if she’s a real human or just another memory-person.  
  
Everything got ten times more intense when Aiba heard the train was approaching. In the last second, because Aiba was just too kind at heart, he decided to put aside his worries, run to the girl, and pull her away from the track.  
  
Aiba knew he had made a wrong decision when most of the people in the station looked at him confusedly. When he looked at the girl and the girl’s eyes turned pitch black - just like the eyes of some other people who turned their heads synchronously to Aiba the moment Aiba touched the girl - he knew he was in a deep trouble.  
  
The girl was  _indeed_ a memory-person and Aiba had made himself recognized.  
  
Aiba started to run at once, rescuing himself from those memory-persons; people who actually didn’t exist in real life, but only in someone’s memory. The problem was, Aiba could  _step_ inside people’s memories accidentally without even realizing it. Real life and people’s memories could easily overlap on Aiba Masaki’s eyes and when he made a contact with one of the memory-person like he just did, they would recognize him as an  _intruder_  and they would do  _anything_  to  _get rid_  of him.  
  
So Aiba ran for his life and no  _real_  person around him understood why because they couldn’t see a pack of suddenly-violent people chasing him. His eyes were scanning the station haphazardly, searching for someone who might be the owner of the memory - and that could be just anyone. Then he saw her; the same girl that was trying to jump to the track - the exact copy of the memory-person that was chasing him like he was a fugitive, just slightly older and thinner. And  _real_.  
  
Aiba didn’t give any preamble, he just ran to the girl and slapped her. Hard.  
  
A bunch of people who were looking at him with confusion on their eyes gasped. When Aiba turned around, the memory-persons were all gone, leaving a faint layer of mist that,  _again_ , no one but him could see.  
  
Aiba exhaled a long and relieved breath. He was saved. The hard slap snapped the girl out of her daydreaming state - the one where she was reminiscing her suicide attempt years and years ago - hence making her brain alert enough to not leaking her memories out.  
  
But well, slapping a girl out of the blue  _of course_  dragged him to a whole new problem to deal with.  
  
*******  
  
 _‘Don’t bother to even come again. You’re fired.’_  
  
Aiba checked his phone once he was released by the securities. He got it easy with his classic reasoning of  _‘I mistook her as someone I know’_  but still, the security needed to give him a lengthy ramble of the importance of checking twice before slapping and whatnot. Now, he was freed from the security and  _also_  from his only job.  
  
Aiba’s shoulders slumped and he cursed himself and his odd ability. He looked down to his feet and walked slowly, having no reason to rush anymore. He turned around, planning to go back to his dusty apartment and have a night of beers and vodkas.  
  
On his way, he looked at every person he found. Now that he was calm and not under pressure, he could see it; a little fading color around some people that was a solid sign that they were a memory-person. He still felt a bit uncomfortable and insecure around them, but now he dodged them all easily, all the while tsk-ing to himself for being unable to differ them earlier.  
  
He took a rounding path as a punishment for himself. He walked down the crowded shopping district - the one he usually avoided - and started to regret his decision.  
  
They were everywhere - the memory-person.  
  
Aiba could identify them but they were really everywhere that Aiba was afraid he might got recognized  _again_. He started to panic again, he pulled down his hoodie, looked down to avoid eye contact, and started to walk faster.  
  
Aiba was a clumsy person in times like this, really. He pulled down his hoodie so low that he didn’t see a man was walking across in front of him. The next thing he knew, he already bumped to the man so hard that they fell to the ground together.  
  
Aiba fell on top of the man. The  _gorgeous_  man.  
  
“What the- Don’t you know how to use your eyes?!” the gorgeous man turned out to be gorgeous  _and_ short-fused.  
  
Aiba realized that his face was only a few centimeters away from the man’s. The man’s face was flawless, his eyes were sharp, his eyelashes were pretty. Somehow, Aiba felt like he had met this person before.  
Aiba could feel something odd as he tried to get back on his feet, “So- sorry. I’m really sorry.”  
  
The man stood up and dusted off his sleek suit. Another man who probably was his assistant helped him while visibly holding back his chuckle.  
  
The man glared to his assistant and the assistant turned his face away to avoid further wrath. The man looked back at Aiba and hissed, “You’re lucky I’m in a hurry.”  
  
Aiba felt a massive inferiority in front of this majestic man. He looked down and bowed his head several times, “Sorry. Really.”  
  
The man clicked his tongue and turned on his heel, “Toma, let’s go.”  
  
The assistant bowed and rushed to the nearby luxurious car, “Understood, Master.”  
  
Aiba couldn’t help but to follow the man’s movements. His gracious steps, his swift gestures, his slightly irritated huff. The man was hypnotizing, he gave off a certain aura that lured Aiba to keep his eyes on him.  
  
No, it’s not like Aiba had a crush on this person, no. It felt different, it felt strange.  
  
Not until the man’s car disappeared did Aiba realize that it was not only  _felt_  strange. It  _was_  indeed strange. When he looked around, he couldn’t spot any memory-person anymore. It was like they disappeared to the thin air the moment Aiba bumped into the man.  
  
Aiba darted his eyes everywhere, trying to find them but he really couldn’t. They really disappeared.  
  
Aiba knew it had something to do with the man. He just knew it. Probably that man was his cure, his antidote, his way to escape from this  _cursed_  ability he had since forever.  
  
And like it was destined to be happened, he looked down and found a fountain pen lying innocently on the ground. He observed the fancy pen carefully, there was a fine gravure on its side.  
  
 _Matsumoto Company_  
  
Aiba grabbed the pen tightly. He  _had_  to find this man again. He  _had_ to.


	3. The Man Who Forgot Something Important

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matsumoto Jun was there when his fiance was murdered, but he couldn't remember anything about it. At all.

Matsumoto Jun massaged his temple. He was terribly irritated. He just had an important meeting and, for an unknown reason, his head was hurting like hell.  
  
“Not feeling well, Young Master?” Toma, his partner-in-business-slash-best-friend, asked with a playful smirk on his face. He was driving Jun home, the thing that he always did since that one night when he found Jun almost jumped off a cliff. Being a personal driver was better than having a risk of losing his best friend.  
  
“Cut the ridiculous young master thing,” Jun grunted, “I think it’s because the klutz that bumped into me earlier. Maybe my head got hit or something.”  
  
Toma took a short glance to Jun before focusing back to the road, “Hospital?”  
  
“Nah,” Jun waved, “Home. I need a good night sleep.”  
  
“Alright, alright.”  
  
They drove in silence afterward. Jun tsked repeatedly, annoyed by the unrelenting headache. It’s been a while since the last time he had a headache this severe.  
  
“Ne, Jun,” Toma started to talk again after a moment, but he seemed to be unsure about it, “Uhm..”  
  
“What?” Jun barked.  
  
“You know.. it’s almost  _that_  time of the year,” Toma carefully said.  
  
Jun forgot his headache in an instant for another feeling that was much worse than pain swarmed in his chest. Summer was almost ending, it meant that another year had passed since the death of his fiancé - his dear and  _beloved_  fiancé. He felt the familiar bitterness, the familiar desperation, grudge, and anger seeped through every cell of his being and unconsciously his body was tensed up.  
  
“Are you.. alright?” Toma asked, obviously aware of Jun’s reaction.  
  
“No,” Jun let the anger ruled over him. His tone was raised and his expression was hardened, “They haven’t found the murderer yet, how can I be alright?”  
  
Toma looked at Jun worriedly. Patiently, he tried to talk softly, “The case will due next year, Jun. Don’t you think it’s time to let go and forget?”  
  
Jun glared to the younger. The darkness that was always there inside of him exploded in an instant, “Forget, you said? I already forget too much for my own good, Toma! I was there with him when he was murdered yet I can’t even remember  _anything_  at all! All I can remember is I woke up with him next to me, soaked in his own blood and  _dead_. Don’t you think I already forget enough?!”  
  
“Hey, hey, I’m sorry. I’m sorry, okay?” Toma’s concentration was divided and he started to regret bringing that subject up.  
  
“I was  _there_! I was definitely there and I don’t remember a thing! You- Argh, I thought you understand about this enough, Ikuta!”  
  
“I just- If the case is closed, you won’t be able to do anything about it anymore anyway, so I just think that it might be better if you start to let go,” Toma tried to explain his intention.  
  
“I don’t give a damn about them closing the case. The police is useless anyway. I’m going to find the culprit myself and I’ll kill him with my own two hands.”  
  
There was no hint of exaggeration there and it made Toma panicked, “You know you can’t do that.”  
  
“I can and I  _will,_ ” Jun’s eyes were dark with deadly intention. He already had this intention since the day he decided that the police wasn’t helping, but usually he hid it so well. That day, however, he felt like letting all hell loose.  
  
“Jun-”  
  
“It’s okay if you want to stay away from me to avoid any trouble. But I won’t change my plan.”  
They were already in front of Jun’s apartment building when Jun said that. Without waiting for Toma’s answer, he got out of the car and closed the door with a loud bang, stomping his way to his apartment unit and ignoring Toma’s shouts.  
  
Once inside his apartment, Jun approached the neatly arranged altar directly. He caressed a photo of a very young man, bright and handsome.  
  
“I’ll find the culprit no matter what, then I’ll join you, Sho chan.”  
  
*******  
  
 _Matsumoto Company_  
  
Aiba’s eyes sparkled when he read it right. He clutched the pen that he found tightly, as if it was a treasure.  
Well, it  _was_  a treasure for him. If it could lead him to his potential savior, that is.  
  
The day before, when he had bumped into a man - a  _gorgeous_  one, no less - he experienced something that he never had before. For a few hours, his strange ability of  _accidentally_  seeing people’s memories disappeared like it never existed. In short, there’s no memory-person.  _At all_. Even when he tried to summon his own memory - which he usually could do easily - they won’t come out. It was like suddenly he’s a  _normal_  person.  
  
Aiba was sure it was because of that man. Maybe touching him did it. Or maybe it was because Aiba was staring at those sharp eyes.  
A few hours later his ability was coming back slowly, thus he started to doubt his hypothesis about the man as his antidote. However, Aiba was determined to find the man again and test it out.  
  
So, a day after that, there he was; on a corner in front of the massive building of Matsumoto Company, with his trustworthy hoodie and shades, waiting for the man that he knew nothing about but the appearance.  
  
He waited and waited, all the while observing people who came and went - be it real people or another memory-person. He used the time to practice his skill in differentiating memory-person from real people and so far, making it some sort of game since he was hidden enough to feel safe from them.  
  
The dusk came before he knew it and restlessly, he paced back and forth. Many people had come out from the building but there’s still no sign of the man that Aiba had been waiting for. The same went for the man’s companion that Aiba vaguely remember.  
  
Aiba almost fell asleep leaning on a pillar when, at around 8:30 PM, finally he caught a glimpse of figures that he was searching for. He jumped slightly in happiness. The funny thing was, now that he found the man, he didn’t really know what to do. He didn’t know what to say, he didn’t know how to prove if his hypothesis was right.  
Asking straight out to the man was out of question if he didn’t want to be sent to a mental hospital, he was aware of that.  
  
Aiba looked around. There were not many people anymore. Just a few tired-looking employees and some gloomy memory-persons that Aiba had identified since earlier. He considered his options but the man’s companion was already pulling out his car keys, indicating that his time was running out.  
  
So, out of panic, Aiba chose to do the only way that crossed his mind; bumping to the man.  _Again_.  
  
“Whoa- HEY!” the man yelled as Aiba landed on top of the man.  _Again_.  
  
Aiba quickly looked for the memory-person that was nearby. That one was gone. And so the other memory-person that was standing a little bit further for them. And the one that was dancing at the park was gone, too.  
Every memory-person was gone.  _Again_.  
  
“I knew it!” Aiba didn’t even bother to stand up first, “I knew it, I knew it!”  
  
“You?!” the man’s eyes widened, “You  _again_?! What’s wrong with you, huh?! Get off of me!”  
  
“Ah, I’m sorry,” Aiba, who just realized that he was still straddling his new light of hope, quickly stood up and stretched his arm to help the man up.  
  
The man just glared and ignored the stretched arm. He stood up by his own and brushed his sleek suit, “Are you blind or something, huh?!”  
  
“Ah, no, I-,” Aiba remembered that he hadn’t even introduce himself, so he bowed, “I’m Aiba Masaki, nice to meet you.”  
  
“No. It’s  _not_  nice to meet you,” the man said with an annoyed face. Behind him, his friend was stifling his laugh.  
  
“I’m sorry,” Aiba bowed once again. He racked his brain. He needed to be around this man  _for the rest of his life_. No matter what.  
  
“Sorry is useless,” the man retorted. He then turned around, already taking his steps to leave Aiba with fuming anger.  
  
The man’s friend laughed and bowed to Aiba, voluntarily taking the responsibility to return the politeness, “I’m Ikuta Toma and my friend there is Matsumoto Jun. I’m sorry for his rudeness and your apology is accepted.”  
  
“It’s not your decision to make, you moron. Come on, let’s go,” Jun shouted, already standing beside the car.  
  
Toma laughed some more and said before following his bossy friend, “Well then, we’re leaving. Nice to meet you, Aiba san.”  
  
“Wait!” Aiba screamed, his face was panic and  _serious_. He felt like this chance won’t come twice.  
  
Jun and Toma turned to look at Aiba.  
  
“Matsumoto san, let me live with you.”  
  
*******  
  
“What?!” Jun couldn’t believe what he heard. A man that was rude enough to bump on him  _twice_  in two days just said that he wanted to live with him? Jun was sure he misheard it.  
  
“I’m sorry, Aiba san, can you repeat it?” apparently, Toma was as shocked as Jun.  
  
“I can be your bodyguard, gardener, cook, or- uh.. uhm.. maid! Yes! Maid! I’ll do  _anything_ ,” the man’s words were all over the place.  
  
Jun gaped for a few seconds. Then, he knocked at Toma’s car, “Unlock the car, Toma. Let’s go. We don’t have the time to deal with a crazy man.”  
  
Jun wanted to kill his best friend when Toma decided to spare the weird man some of his time.  
  
“Uhm.. Aiba san, if you’re looking for a job, you can- uh..,” Toma rummaged through his cardholder and handed Aiba a name card, “-send it here. It’s the human resource department of our -  _his_  - company. I guess you can find some jobs for you there.”  
  
“No, you don’t understand. I don’t want to work in your company, I want to work  _around_  him,” Aiba pointed to Jun. If anything, he looked like a desperate lost puppy.  
  
Jun squinted his eyes in disbelief as he was mentioned. Everything was just plain ridiculous to him and his headache was back again. He started to think that maybe Aiba was the reason behind his excruciating headache.  
“Listen, crazy man. Stop talking non-sense. I don’t even know you!” Jun snapped. He then urged Toma who was still standing near Aiba, “Come on, Toma! What are you waiting for?!”  
  
“Please, Ikuta san. Please, can’t you help me to be around him?” Aiba pleaded to Toma, maybe he saw better chance in Toma’s softer gesture.  
  
“Oy!” Jun yelled.  
  
Toma scratched his head and Jun grunted. Toma was  _always_  too kind and polite, and sometimes - like that particular moment - it’s giving Jun trouble more than anything.  
  
Jun tsked. His patience was running out, “Toma!”  
  
Toma finally bowed and rushed to the car.  
  
“Hey! Hey! Wait! Please, help me! Please! You’re my only-”  
  
Jun saw Aiba chased him and he opted to ignore him. As soon as the door was unlocked, Jun opened it and got into the car. He closed the door right in front of Aiba, not sparing any split of second for the taller to talk, “Drive, Toma.”  
  
Toma nodded. He looked at the window with pity and confusion in his eyes. Aiba was there, sticking to the window and begging about something that neither of them could really figure out what.  
  
Without turning his head, Jun could see Aiba’s pleading face being pressed to the glass from the corner of his eyes. Somehow, he had the urge to stop and listen, just to make the poor guy stop being so pathetic. But, on the other hand, he also felt the unexplainable annoyance.  
Not to mention that his headache was beyond awful.  
  
“Drive, Toma. Now,” Jun repeated firmer.  
  
Toma nodded and finally, he started the engine.  
  
They never expected that Aiba was desperate enough to throw his body in front of the moving car.


	4. The Past and The Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aiba Masaki saw a glimpse of Matsumoto Jun's past. Now the table was turned; Matsumoto Jun asked for Aiba Masaki's help and Aiba Masaki doubted if it's a good idea.

Aiba opened his eyes and he saw restless Jun pacing back and forth. His whole body was numb, probably from the sedative and painkiller that were injected to his body.  
  
“Finally!” Jun noticed that Aiba was regaining his consciousness, “I know you are crazy, but please don’t drag us to your craziness!”  
  
Toma pulled Jun away and muttered some calming phrases to Jun.  
  
“Oh, shut up, Toma,” Jun huffed.  
  
“I’m sorry,” Aiba said. He sat up and rested his body on the headboard. Toma instinctively helped him.  
  
“No, you’re not. I don’t know what’s in your head but please, stop involving us into it,” Jun said in a hard tone.  
  
“I’m desperate, I need your help,” Aiba said.  
  
“Seek for other people to help you, not me.”  
  
“No one can help me but you,” Aiba insisted.  
  
“Are you trying to seduce me?” Jun asked with disbelief.  
  
“No- I-,” Aiba racked his brain. He had to explain everything without being considered as a mentally ill man and it’s hard. But then again, Jun already suspected him as one, so he decided to just blurt it out, “I have this power that only you could diminish.”  
  
“Power?” Toma asked.  
  
“I- I have this special power. I-”  
  
“This is bullshit,” Jun cut, “Listen, we already paid for the hospital and we see except for your already damaged brain that nothing is serious. So, please, excuse us. And don’t you ever come to our lives ever again.”  
  
“I can see people’s memories!” Aiba blurted out just a second before Jun passed the threshold.  
  
At that, Jun stopped.  
  
Aiba knew that sparked something in Jun’s mind because suddenly, a memory-person appeared and disappeared again. Like Jun’s mind was drifting away but Jun forbid it from doing so.  
  
Two seconds later, Jun resumed his walk.  
  
“There’s a man!” Aiba tried. Because he knew Jun’s mind reacted to his statement, he thought he might as well use it. He tried to concentrate on the memory-person that kept appearing and disappearing. There were two of them, apparently. They were down on the floor, “Oh, it was you! Younger you! You were holding someone in your hands!”  
  
Jun stopped and turned around. Toma’s eyes widened to the size of a saucer.  
  
Slowly, the memory-persons became stable. Aiba straightened his back to look closer. Then, his jaw dropped. He saw horror.  
“Oh my God, you killed someone?!”  
  
*******  
  
Jun couldn’t pretend that he didn’t hear what the patient said. He stepped back to the hospital bed, eyes filled with the same amount of horror as Aiba’s.  
“Who are you?!”  
  
“Who are  _you_?!” Aiba asked back, retreating himself in a defense position, “Why did you kill people?!”  
  
Jun was sure about the scene that Aiba meant. But he’s also sure no one he didn’t know would know about it.  
  
“He didn’t kill anyone,” Toma said. Apparently, he also noticed that Aiba wasn’t fooling around, “But, how could you know about it?”  
  
“But he-”  
  
“It’s not him,” Toma repeated. Then, he demanded, “Now answer me, Aiba san, how in the hell do you know about it?!”  
  
“I’ve told you I can see people’s memories,” Aiba said, still with terrified look.  
  
“Are you kidding-”  
  
“Toma, shut up,” Jun cut Toma’s words. His eyes were fixated to Aiba, “Can you see forgotten memories?”  
  
“Basically your brain never forgets. So-”  
  
“Can you or can you not?!” Jun shouted. He felt dizzy as anticipation surged into his body.  
  
Aiba was taken aback, but he answered, “Under certain conditions, yes.”  
  
“Toma, we’re bringing him home,” Jun commanded. Various images danced in his head and he wondered if the man in front of him could see them all.  
  
“But-”  
  
“We’re. Bringing. Him. To. My. Home.”  
  
It was a one sided decision, but neither Toma nor Aiba had the gut to object anymore.  
  
*******  
  
Aiba shifted on his seat. The doctor let him go because none of his wound was serious. He was glad of that, but now he didn’t know if he’s glad about being employed by his potential savior or not.  
  
“Explain it to me,” Jun said, pacing back and forth restlessly. Aiba could see he’s thinking about many things at once because fractions of memories were showing and disappearing like crazy.  
  
“When- when you let your guard down, like when you’re daydreaming or so, your memories could leak. That’s when I could see it,” Aiba stuttered. Felt agitated more than anything else, “But if you’re alert enough, then it’s fine.”  
  
“Forgotten memories. Tell me about forgotten memories.”  
  
“Y- your brain has it. Your brain stores everything perfectly. You just can't access those memories, thus you say it's forgotten. But sometimes, when the situation is right, your brain might access it unconsciously. Like a background process on a computer. You don’t realize it when it happens, but I can see it.”  
  
“Explain the situation,” Jun was still pacing around and Aiba had the urge to make him stop and sit. Because, hell, this man was already intimidating even without pacing around like a hungry lion.  
  
“Like.. uh- it’s related to senses. Scenery, scent, texture, melody. Right combination might trigger the brain to access the memory,” Aiba explained as best as he could, “Or- or- it might just pop out of nowhere. No one really knows how one’s brain works.”  
  
Jun stopped. Finally. He pondered for a bit and then he asked, “What kind of help do you need from me?”  
  
Aiba furrowed his brows, totally forgot his initial intention. When it came back to him, he wasn’t sure whether to continue asking for help or not. He stole a glance or two to Jun and considered it all over again.  
  
Jun looked like a kind person, actually. He was just- troubled? Determined? Restless? Aiba couldn’t pinpoint. But something in Jun’s eyes and gestures made Aiba believed that this scary person wasn’t going to hurt him.  
  
“People from memories treat me like intruder when they recognize me. Like antibody to a virus, they would try to- uh-  _destroy_ me,” Aiba shuddered a bit, “But when I touch you, I lose my power for a little while. Every memory-person would disappear. So-”  
  
“You need me to rescue you when it happens.”  
  
“Yes. Well, actually I’d prefer to never see them again, so-”  
  
“Where do you live?” Jun cut Aiba for the second time. If Aiba wasn’t too afraid, he would already complain.  
  
“On the other side of the town.”  
  
“Family?”  
  
“Mom, dad, and a little brother in Chiba,” Aiba wished his mother was there to save him. He started to think that Matsumoto Jun might be more dangerous than a platoon of memory-person.  
  
“Wife? Girlfriend? Kids?”  
  
“No,” Aiba answered fast. How could he have any of them if he couldn’t even walk under the sunlight without being a paranoid weirdo, he thought to himself.  
  
Then, Jun announced, “Okay. You’re my assistant from now on. You live here, your main responsibility is to rediscover my forgotten memories. I can pay you as much as you like, and you’ll be around me so if you need help you can help yourself.”  
  
Aiba tensed up. He was the one who asked this, true, but he wasn’t sure about it anymore. Not after seeing what he saw earlier.  
  
“Jun!” Toma complained.  
  
“Go home, Toma,” Jun didn’t even look at Toma while saying so.  
  
“Jun!”  
  
“Go home or Shun will have a black-eyed groom for his wedding this weekend,” Jun threatened.  
  
Toma tsk-ed. He knew he wouldn’t win on a banter with Jun, especially when his lost memory was involved. He found his way out with a grumpy face and his cellphone on his hand.  
  
Once it’s only the two of them, Aiba didn’t know what to do. It felt like he was trapped as a prisoner.  
“Ano-”  
  
“You asked for this, so I don’t want to hear a no,” Jun said firmly. He walked to a door and opened it, “You can use this room, I’ll be next door. Tomorrow we’ll get your belongings.”  
  
Aiba felt that nothing was right. He was accused as a mentally ill person at one second and on the next one, he’s  _forced_  to live with this probably murderer man. Now he knew how Jun might feel when he said he wanted to work with him even when they didn’t know each other yet.  
“Matsumoto san, I- I think we should think about this first. I mean- time. We need time. You don’t know me, I might be a bad guy.”  
  
Jun approached Aiba and with eyes fixated to Aiba’s and hands gripping Aiba’s shoulders he said, “Seventeen. I’ve lost my memories since I’m seventeen, Aiba san, do you think I could spare anymore time?”  
  
Aiba was overwhelmed by the proximity. Jun’s eyes were reflecting anger and pain at the same time it made him confused if he wanted to run away or hug Jun.  
  
“And I don’t care if you’re a bad guy. Rob me, take my money, I don’t care. Just help me get my memories back.”  
  
By the end of the sentence, Jun’s eyes were covered by a thin layer of tears. Tears of anger, tears of determination.  
  
Aiba decided he didn’t want to run away anymore. He sighed, hoping that he would never regret his decision.  
“Don’t worry, I’m not a bad guy. Just- try not to touch me because then my ability would disappear,” Aiba said while walking to his new room, “Well then, good night?”  
  
“Night,” Jun replied and silence filled the luxurious apartment.  
  
******  
  
Aiba found it hard to fall asleep that night. He kept moving restlessly, feeling a faint chill running down his spine.  
  
A rustling sound caught Aiba’s attention a little bit past midnight. He sat up, trying to find out the source of the sound. Then, he saw a little kid in the corner of the room. The kid was trembling, crying.  
  
It was him.  
  
It was his memory.  
  
His  _lost_  memory.  
  
Aiba felt anticipation grew in his chest. Even though he didn’t remember anything about himself when he was just a kid, the nostalgic feeling was definitely there. He  _knew_  it was him. He just  _knew_.  
  
“Masaki,” a sound made Aiba turned his head quickly.  
  
Another boy was there. Slightly bigger and older, with worried eyes and cautious gestures.  
  
“Masaki, it’s okay. It’s only a thunder,” the older boy approached little Aiba.  
  
“I’m afraid,” little Aiba started to cry.  
  
“Hey, hey,” the older boy took little Aiba to his embrace, “It’s okay, I’m here. Nii chan is here so everything’s alright, okay? I got you. Nii chan got you.”  
  
Aiba felt a wrenching feeling in his chest. He  _missed_  this man - the one that he believed as his older brother. The longing feeling felt so great that Aiba unconsciously moved towards the two hugging boys. He wanted to touch him, he wanted to hug him. He wanted to tell him how he wanted to see him.  
  
Aiba was already an inch away from touching the memory-person from his own memory when a loud voice snapped him back to reality.  
  
It was Jun.  
  
Jun was screaming. Hard.


End file.
